Reels are used on crop harvesting machines, like windrowers and combines, to lift crop that is down & lodged so the cutting mechanism has good access to the plant (not leaving any seeds or desirable plant material behind) and to push the crop into the header for conveying to the windrow discharge.
For maximum efficiency (effectively raise the plants, minimize seed shatter, minimize wear on mechanical parts & minimize power required to drive the reel), it is desirable that the reel run at the right speed and that the operator have full control of the reel speed for all crop and ground speed conditions.
In addition the height and location of the reel should be readily adjustable under simple operator control so that the reel can be moved quickly and simply to the optimum position for crop condition.
Reel speed controlled relative to vehicle ground speed has been used on combines for some time to assist the operator to obtain the right speed without excessive input from the operator (which causes fatigue). We believe this is the first application of an electrically controlled, hydraulically driven reel speed relative to ground speed on a windrower.
Case AFX combine—A rocker switch ‘A’ turns the relative speed feature on/off. When relative speed is off, a rotary switch ‘B’ is used to control the reel speed. When ‘A’ is on, switch ‘B’ controls the index. To set the minimum speed you have to go into the computer menu to set the minimum reel speed. It is believed that the reel does not have a speed sensor and that the computer knows the reel speed from the relative position of the hydraulic valve that controls the reel speed. The header jack-shaft that runs the mechanical drives on the header has a similar relative speed feature.
Case 2388 combine—Works the same as above, except that the minimum reel speed is the last reel speed setting in the manual mode before turning on the relative speed feature.
John Deere combine—A monitor switch ‘A’ on the post turns the relative speed feature on/off. When relative speed is off, a rocker switch ‘B’ is used to control the reel speed. When ‘A’ is on, switch ‘B’ controls the index. The minimum reel speed is the last reel speed setting in the manual mode before turning on the relative speed feature. When a pickup header is used, the drives on the header have a similar relative speed feature.